A veteran Bengali playwright, Manoj Mitra has written more than 100 plays which have been translated into several languages and directed by eminent people like Ratan Thiyam and Rajinder Nath for leading theatre companies. His “Alkanandar Putro-Kanya” was presented by Little Thespian, West Bengal, in Uma Jhunjhunwala’s Hindi translation as “Alka” at Kamani auditorium in the ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav in New Delhi. The play depicts the relentless struggle for happiness of a mother stuck in the mire of domestic anxieties. The consummate artistry of director, designer and performers creates a theatrical piece that deeply stirs the audience.
The play opens with a crippled middle-aged man sitting on a chair, repeatedly pestering a domestic help to bring back to him the ball he has dropped several times on the floor. The domestic help refuses to oblige him, leading to a verbal duel. Enters a tired Alka from work, confronts her crippled husband in a vegetative state caused by an unfortunate accident, and the lethargic domestic help. The husband wants a cup of tea immediately and the helper threatens to quit. Before the harassed Alka can resolve the problem of her husband and the helper, a stranger arrives, claiming to be the friend of her son, Shubho, and his saviour. He tells her that the life of her son is in grave danger and if she wants to save his life, she should immediately pay Rs. 20,000. She has no money.
This sets the tone of anxiety, fear and utter helplessness. As the play reveals its narrative, the mood of dismay, fear, clash of emotions keeps intensifying, leading to a climax which is profound and moving.
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The play has a large canvas, all its characters dealing with their own life and their own dilemmas. The playwright has skilfully woven all these thematic strands into the character of Alka and the entire action takes place in her house. She has adopted Shubho from parents rotting in abysmal poverty, and, showering him with motherly affection, has sent him to an engineering college. Her sincere motherly instinct inspires her to adopt a daughter from an orphanage. She was leading a happy and prosperous family life. But an unfortunate accident ruined her happiness, reducing her husband to a severely disabled man.
Through the thematic contours, what emerges is the social evils like dowry and ragging that destroy fine human beings, robbing them of their right to happiness and dignity. Alka’s adopted daughter Mansi suffers from domestic violence and her son Shubho, unable to bear the violence and barbaric acts perpetrated by anti-social elements masquerading as students in the name of ragging, breaks down mentally and is sent to a mental asylum. However, Mansi is transformed from a timid girl into a brave one to fight her battle against her tormentors.
There is another strand in the narrative that deals with the miseries of a divorced woman with an infant. Forced to lead a life of ignominy, she leaves her infant with Alka to look after for hours. The production frequently echoes with the painful cries of the child, heightening the dismal and ominous mood. However, the play is not about gloom alone and ultimately evokes a message of hope. One of the noteworthy aspects of the production is the set design by S.M. Azhar Alam — in a geometrical pattern which covers much of the upstage without becoming imposing. The central stage and downstage area provide enough space for the performers with the set providing details of the background to the action. The light effects on the geometrical structures evoke multiple shades of colour in tune with the mood of the given scene.
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Besides directing, Uma Jhunjhunwala also plays the leading role of Alka. She truly lives her role, bringing to the fore the multiple inner layers of her complex character. Paltu Polley as Shubho invests his characterisation with emotional intensity. Amit Aditya as the tormentor of Shubho, and Arpita Basu as Devahuti, the divorced woman, act admirably.